


In Vino Veritas

by cyrene



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First War with Voldemort, Fix-It, M/M, everyone is going to live now, like they should gorram it, really jk it was this simple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 15:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17852033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyrene/pseuds/cyrene
Summary: Remus and Sirius talk over wine, AND EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY.





	In Vino Veritas

The motorbike pulled up, stopping in front of a shabby old set of flats, announcing its arrival to anyone in the vicinity who was still blessed with their hearing. Its rider took his helmet off and shook his long, black hair out with a sigh.

The motorbike's name was Shadow, and she was due for a tune-up. The rider's name was Sirius Black, and he had had a very long day.

James and Lily were talking about going into hiding. They'd asked Sirius to be their secret keeper. Sirius didn't think he was the right person for the job, not when he was actively living with someone who might be – well. His judgment was compromised anyway. Additionally, as if that weren't bad enough, he had failed to get the information he was seeking, and a vial of Veritaserum had gone missing from the Order's store, and everyone was in a tizzy trying to figure out what had happened.

Sirius trudged up the steps to the third floor. The door was unlocked – Remus must be home. Or else Death Eaters had found them again. Sirius palmed his wand as he crossed the threshold, but there was Remus's coat, a shabby tan thing, hanging in the front hall.

“Good fucking fuck, it's been a day,” Sirius called as he hung his black coat up next to Remus's. It fell, and he had to bend down with a grunt to pick it up again. He might have left it, had it just been him, but it would bother the Felix to his Oscar. (A joke Lily had explained to him when the two moved in together.)

Remus was sitting, carefully, awkwardly straight, at the little table where they ate when they could sit down together for five minutes. He looked up from the book he was reading and Sirius's heart damn near broke with the pain of looking at him. Then he noticed the bag at his lover's feet.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, all casual.

“Perhaps,” was the enigmatic answer – all casual. “That depends on you.”

Sirius slid into the seat across from Remus, taking in the bottle of red wine and two glasses in between them.

“What's the occasion?” he asked warily. Had he forgotten an anniversary? That would not be like him at all, but there was a war on, after all.

“We're either breaking up, or getting back together,” Remus said lightly, shutting his book and setting it to one side. “Either way, we can't keep going the way we have been. I don't know what's wrong with us, why you've been so distant, but I can't...” his voice broke, and he made a small cough before continuing, “either way, it ends tonight, Sirius.”

Sirius was overcome by a cold panic that crept up over him with each word his lover spoke. He was trying to decide what to do, if he could trust this, when Remus plunked upon the table one small, clear vial filled with a crystal clear liquid.

“You!” Sirius exclaimed.

“Veritaserum,” Remus replied calmly. He opened the vial and poured it into the glass in front of him, filling it up the rest of the way with wine.

“Rem–”

Remus held up one finger, telling Sirius to wait, just wait, as he downed the glass whole. He made a face, but kept it down, and slid the other glass of wine towards Sirius.

“Ask me anything,” he said. “It's working now, I think.”

“Tell me your name is... is Farrokh Bulsara.”

Remus laughed, full of bitterness, and said, “My name is F-f-f-Remus John Lupin. I can't. Sorry.”

“Don't be sorry. That means it's working.”

“Then ask me,” Remus urged.

“Ask you what?”

Sirius knew, of course he knew, but he didn't want to admit his suspicions aloud. Not in front of Remus. They had been doing so well, avoiding the subject. Why couldn't Remus leave well enough alone?

Remus rolled his eyes and tapped his wristwatch. Get on with it.

“Why did you steal the Veritaserum?” Sirius asked.

“Because I don't think you would believe anything I told you without it.” Remus shook his head, tawny curls in disarray, and let out his breath with a “whoosh”.

Well, that stung. But it wasn't a lie, and it wasn't exactly inaccurate.

“Ask me, Sirius,” Remus demanded again.

“Do you – do you still love me?” Sirius asked, his voice cracking a little.

“Yes. ASK ME.”

“FINE!” Sirius shouted. “Are you working for the Dark Lord?”

Remus looked at him straight, the gold flecks burning in his jade green eyes, and said, calmly and steadily, “No, Sirius Black. I am not.”

Sirius didn't realize he was crying until the sobbing began. He tried to hold it in by covering his mouth with his hands, rocking back and forth, but it wouldn't stop.

Remus came around the table in an instant, arms around Sirius, murmuring words of comfort and love.

“Then why?” Sirius asked. “Why are you always gone?”

“I'm recruiting dark creatures for Dumbledore. He wants them – us – on the Order's side.”

“Why is that so secret? Why couldn't you tell me?” Then it hit him. “Dumbledore thinks I'm the traitor?” he asked, full of wonder and hurt.

“I don't think you're the traitor,” Remus assured him. “But I had to promise, or he would have kept me in research forever.”

“GOOD!” Sirius sobbed, pushing wet strands of black hair out of his face. “Stay in research, where it's safe!”

Remus shook his head, a loving smile on his face. “As if I could, while you and James and Peter, and even Lily were out there risking your lives.”

“Your work was important too,” Sirius insisted. “Your research kept us alive on multiple occasions. I always felt better going on a mission with you behind me.”

“Then why?” Remus asked, tears in his eyes. “What changed? Why did you think I was the traitor?”

Sirius honestly couldn't remember any more. “It was so many little things, and the never knowing where you were or what you were doing, and this damned war getting in my head. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Too late,” Remus said with his trademark smirk, “I already have.”

Sirius let loose a laugh that turned into a sob. All of a sudden, he felt so free. He would call James in the morning, and tell him he could be their secret-keeper. He could do that, now that he knew his judgment had not been compromised.

But right now... now he had some making up to do. Sirius stood up abruptly, knocking the table over with a crash as he took Remus into his arms and gave him their first real, proper kiss in months.

After a moment, Remus pulled back and surveyed the damage, the wine on the carpet and the broken glasses. “Oscar...”

“Yes, Felix?”

“Never mind.”


End file.
